The Pixie Effect
by ChaosWorld
Summary: If Sirius Black had received a trial, things may have gone quite differently. Years 1-7. Updated whenever I have the energy to write.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This chapter is only an introductory chapter to set the stage for the story. Following this the chapters will be longer.**

* * *

The past week had been her most chaotic on the job. Amelia Bones worked in the department of magical law enforcement, but no one had cared about departments for years. Not with the war going on. But now it was over, and somehow that caused a greater disturbance then the war itself. The first few days had the highest level of statute of secrecy infractions ever recorded as witches and wizards mingled in broad daylight, send owls at suspicious hours.

Then, there was Sirius Black. The murder trial following the Potter's death had gained international attention. Though it had first appeared that Black was the killer, questioning him with veritaserum had changed everything. The least likely suspect, the less talented Peter Pettigrew, was an unregistered animagus and a death eater. Unfortunately, his animagus form was a rat, and tracking him would be a difficult task.

But at least when it was over, everyone would be safe. Everything would be back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thasks for reading! Here's a real chapter now.**

* * *

Sirius Black was rather ticked off.

Well, that was an understatement. Sirius Black was furious, so furious in fact that Albus Dumbledore was cowering before him. He had good reason to be angry. His best friend was dead, his other friend had betrayed him to Voldemort, and _he'd_ been tried for murder and barely escaped Azkaban. And now, Albus was telling him that he'd sent _Sirius'_ godson to live with _muggles._ Not just any muggles, but Lilly's sister and her husband. Sirius knew little of the husband, but he knew there was a good reason Lily hadn't spoken to her sister in years.

"Sirius, I'm begging you, be _reasonable._ " Dumbledore pleaded.

"Reasonable? _You sent my godson to live with her. You need to be reasonable, not me._ " Sirius replied.

"Sirius, I had a very good reason for that, allow me to explain." The old wizard said tiredly.

"Fine." Sirius growled.

"Harry survived because Lily died for him. She gave him a protection that stopped the killing curse. I performed a charm that will continue this protection, but only if he lives with Lily's blood relatives and spends at least a week per year in their home. He will be safe from Voldemort anywhere, and no wizard intending harm to Harry will be able to cross the property line of that house." Dumbledore explained.

"What good is is that?" Sirius asked. "Voldemort's dead! Unless you think some more of his followers are looking for Harry, which is unlikely at this point."

"I do not believe that Voldemort is truly dead." Dumbledore whispered.

Sirius froze. "What... what makes you say that?" He asked.

"Severus Snape." Dumbledore replied.

"What about him?" Sirius said quickly.

"The dark mark... it is faded, but not gone. The nature of the mark leads me to believe that if Voldemort were dead, it would disappear, leaving behind only a scar in its shape." He explained.

"But he's gone for now?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I believe so." Dumbledore sighed.

"Then let me raise him. I'm his godfather!" Sirius insisted.

"But... that would cause the charm to break..." Dumbledore moaned. He didn't see this altercation ending as planned.

"CHARM BE DAMNED! LILY AND JAMES' SON IS NO GOING TO GROW UP IN THAT HOUSE!" Sirius shouted

Dumbledore quailed before Sirius' anger. "Alright, you may raise the boy." He conceded. "But I will place every protection around him short of the fidelius charm."

"Good." Sirius growled.

"But I think I should be the one to retrieve the boy from his aunt and uncle." Dumbledore added. "Also, I do hope you don't intend to raise the boy alone."

"I think you're right not to let me, but I think Remus would move in with me, so don't worry about Harry." Sirius replied.

"Well, that's settled!" Dumbledore said. "How soon can you be prepared to raise a one year old boy?"

"I might need a day or two." Sirius answered.

"Let me know when you're ready, and I'll get him from his relatives. I'm disappointed to say they'll be glad to see him go." Dumbledore said.

* * *

Sirius and Remus were hard at work. Sirius had hired a large team to help renovate number twelve, grimmauld place into something livable, but it had been abandoned for three years. Some nasty things had taken up residence, and several items were cursed.

It took a week for them to gut the house of garbage, pests, and cursed objects. On the last day, Sirius and Remus found a golden locket. They examined it carefully, first by checking for dark magic.

"Oh, my." Sirius said. "There must be some very powerful curse on this."

A member of the cleaning crew entered. "Another one?" He said, holding out his hand.

"No, this one is worse than the others. Much worse. I have no idea what kind of curse is on it. I'll be taking it to Dumbledore." Sirius said, seriously. Wrapping it carefully without touching it, he tucked it away into his pocket.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yes, I changed the the title. Some new ideas for the story came up, and the title drastically conflicted with those ideas. Also, it wasn't very original.**

* * *

Albus Dumbledore apperated to a deserted location near Privet Drive. He walked down the street until he reached number four. He rang the doorbell.

* * *

Petunia was in her livingroom. Her son, Dudley, sat on the floor watching the television, and Harry was in a highchair in front of her. She was feeding him some mushed carrots, and he gladly accepted. Though she hated to admit it to herself, Harry was much easier to deal with than her son was. He would eat what she gave him, and he didn't scream when it was bathtime. In fact, he rarely cried at all. She did miss having only one child to care for, though.

A minute later, the doorbell rang. Petunia stood, lifting Harry from his seat, and went to answer it. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. She had not expected to see the headmaster of her sister's old school on her doorstep.

"Mr. Dumbledore. What a... surprise." She said.

The old man smiled benignly at her. "I hope you are well, Petunia. I have come to take Harry."

Petunia gave a start. "I thought I was to care for him until he came of age..."

"That was the plan," Dumbledore replied, "until the boy's godfather was cleared of his murder charge and became very angry about where I put Harry."

"Where do you intend to take him?" Petunia asked.

"To his godfather's home in London, number 12, grimmaud place." Dumbledore replied.

"I thought he was supposed to stay here for his protection." Petunia said.

"Harry's godfather is his legal guardian, and he wishes Harry to live with him. Adequate protection will be provided..."

"-You were supposed to protect Lily." Petunia cut in. Her voice was filled with a cold anger.

"Why did you never write to her if you cared so much?" Dumbledore asked.

"I was jealous. I think you knew that." Petunia replied.

"Who's there, Petunia?" Vernon Dursley called.

"Neighbour." She called back. Petunia turned back to Dumbledore. "I will not trust you with any member of my family." She hissed, slamming the door in his face.

Bewildered, Dumbledore walked back to the secluded location, and apparated away.

* * *

That evening, Petunia made up her mind. She crushed some sleeping pills and mixed them into her husband's after supper tea. When he dropped off, she set to work. She called for a taxi to arrive to her house in an hour, then began packing. She found a large suitcase and filled it with diapers and other necessities, baby clothes, and stuffed animals for her son and nephew. She packed a smaller suitcase with clothes, items from the medicine cabinet, and some personal keepsakes. Five minutes after she had finished, the taxi arrived.

She carried the suitcases outside and loaded them into the taxi. Just before picking up the boys, she took a piece of paper and a pen, and left a note in front of her sleeping husband:

 _I won't come back. Don't look for me._

She took a child in each arm and walked out to the waiting taxi.

* * *

Dumbledore was once again being yelled at by Sirius Black. The man was furious that Dumbledore had not brought his godson, and refused to accept any explanation.

"Sirius, she refused to give him over. She cares about him. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think." Dumbledore reasoned.

"And is her husband just as sentimental? From what Minerva said, he won't take well to this at all!" Sirius retorted.

Dumbledore opened his mouth reply, but was cut off by a knock on the front door.

"I'll get it." Sirius sighed. He walked to the door and opened it. Outside, with two suitcases, two children, and an anti-anti-muggle charm around her neck, was Petunia Dursley.

"Petunia, what are you doing here?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm leaving Vernon. He's a foul man and I don't want him anywhere near my son or my nephew." Petunia replied.

There was a long pause. Finally, Dumbledore said, "Let's discus this inside, shall we?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for such a long wait. Thanks to ChaoticSisters for her contributions to this chapter.**

* * *

Sirius and Dumbledore took Petunia's suitcases into the house. Seeing her growing tired of holding the boys, Dumbledore conjured two high chairs for them, which she place them in before sitting down herself.

"So, you've decided to leave Vernon? I must say, I was rather disappointed in your choice of husband. What exactly brought you to to this decision?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Nothing, exactly." Petunia replied. "Which is to say, everything about him. I only married him because I was looking for a normal life, and he the same. But he's absolutely cruel to anyone he sees as not normal, and that made me wonder. What if he decided _I_ wasn't normal enough? Or if Dudley wasn't? And he'll never think of _Harry_ as normal, and, well, I care about Harry, like he's my own son. I resented him at first, for being alive while Lily was dead, but not anymore. He-" Petunia broke off, eyes shining. "-he has Lily's eyes." She dissolved into tears.

Harry, who had been sleeping in his highchair, woke up. He looked around, and he saw Sirius. A smile broke out on his face.

Harry reached towards Sirius "Paffoot! Paffoot!" He yelled.

Sirius grinned, and lifted Harry from his chair "Hey there, Pup" he said.

Petunia looked confused "Padfoot?"

Sirius laughed. "Old nicknames." He explained with a grin. He looked down at Harry "Do you want to see Moony, Harry?"

Harry got even more excited. "Mooy!" He screamed. Then he paused and looked up at Sirius. "Wowmtail?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, Harry. We can't see Wormtail."

Petunia looked even more confused than she had before. "Moony and Wormtail?" she asked.

Dumbledore laughed "Hogwart's most notorious troublemakers."

Petunia sighed. "I give up. Explain later."

At that moment, Remus appeared in the fireplace. Harry squealed with delight "Mooy!"

Remus grinned at the baby and lifted him from Sirius's lap into his arms "Hello, Harry!" he said.

Harry smiled up at Remus. "Where dada?" He asked.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Perhaps they boys should be put to bed. It's very late."

Sirius leapt to his feet. "You're right Albus. They'll have to share a crib tonight, but we can get another another one tomorrow."

"I'll take them." Remus offered. "If I need to know what you're talking about, you can fill me in tomorrow." He picked the two boys up easily and carried them to the nursery.

"So, Petunia," Dumbledore continued the conversation, "What do you plan to do now?"

Petunia took a deep breath and looked at Sirius. "Can I stay here?"

Silence followed. After a moment, Sirius replied. "I don't see why not."

Dumbledore chuckled to himself. It built up into a roaring laugh that had him gripping the sides of the chair so as not to fall off.

Sirius looked concerned. "Is... is something funny, Albus?"

Albus collected himself. "Well, no, it's not funny. It's just that this whole thing has worked out _very_ nicely."

"In what way?" Sirius asked.

"Well, you see, Lily's sacrifice saved Harry. I was able to extend that protection so that as long as he lives it the same house as one of Lily's blood relatives, he would be protected from Voldemort. Now, he will still have that protection, but he will also have a family that cares for him. If you had not come here, Petunia, he would not have had both." Dumbledore explained.

"Well then," said Sirius, "I suppose that this turned out as well as it could have. Come, Petunia, let's find you a room. You look exhausted."

Petunia followed Sirius to an upstairs room. Along the way, they passed a room with an open door. Inside, Harry and Dudley were sitting in a crib. They looked ready to drop off at any moment. Remus was sitting next to the crib reading to the boys from a book called _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._ Petunia smiled to herself and went to her new room.


	5. Chapter 5

Albus and Sirius were once again alone. Sirius sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I've been meaning to tell you something, but I keep getting distracted." Sirius said. "When we were cleaning the house up, we found a lot of things that were cursed and full of dark magic. Most of it was taken by the cleaning crew to be neutralized and disposed of, but there was one that I held on to to show you. It's much, much darker than anything I've seen before."

Albus looked closely as Sirius took out a small box. He opened it and removed something wrapped in cloth, which he laid on the table. He delicately unfolded the cloth to reveal a golden locket. Dumbledore gasped audibly.

"Do you know what that is, Sirius?" He asked quietly.

"No, that's why I'm showing you."

"That locket belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

"And the curse on it?"

"Do you know what a horcrux is?"

Sirius mouthed something that he would not say in front of Harry.

"I think we now know how Voldemort kept himself alive." Dumbledore said.

"Oh thank Merlin. That's Voldemort's soul in front of me, not my mother's."

"Sirius, be serious."

"I _am_ Sirius. And serious. I was really worried there that my mother was still alive."

"Sirius..."

"Okay, okay. So, we have a near indestructible piece of Voldemort's soul in front of us. What do we do?"

"Well first, we find out how many others there are."

" _HOW MANY_ OTHERS? NOT _IF_ THERE ARE OTHERS?"

"Voldemort would not be satisfied with the security of one horcrux. Most likely he split his soul into a magically significant number, but not two because that would only be one horcrux. He probably wouldn't be happy with two horcruxes either, so my guess is that he made six horcruxes for a seven-part soul. Or at least, he tried."

"Six..." Sirius groaned.

"I think five, actually. He had... reasons for going after Harry. He likely intended to make a horcrux with Harry's murder."

"Bloody hell. What kind of reasons?"

"There was a prophecy made to me that concerned Voldemort's defeat. However, a death eater heard part of it and reported back to Voldemort. He took the prophecy to mean that Harry would be able to kill him one day."

"This... is a lot to take in." Sirius said. "Do you think he'll try to kill Harry when he comes back?"

"Most certainly."

There was a long pause. Finally, Sirius broke the silence.

"He'll need to be ready then. When are you going to tell him?"

"When he comes of age, or when Voldemort returns. Whichever comes first."

"What if Voldemort comes back in a year? Then what?"

"I'll tell him as soon as he's old enough to understand, though I hope I will not have to place such a burden on him while he is a child."

"Will you train him?"

This question gave Dumbledore pause. "You mean... teach Harry to fight?"

"Of course. You're the only one Voldemort ever feared. There is no one better to teach Harry magic if he is to face Voldemort someday."

"I suppose I must, but he will have difficulty learning anything particularly useful before he's, oh, maybe fifteen. If his training is of particular importance to you, I would suggest you start teaching him potions and basic magical theory before he starts school."

"Why potions?" Sirius asked

"Very little of it requires wand work, and it is a very useful skill. Besides, he may have inherited his mother's gift for the subject."

"Alright, then. We were talking about horcruxes, and you think he made five of them and intended to make a sixth. Any guess as to what they are?"

"No, but I do have a very solid theory. In fact, what you have shown me all but confirms it. I have suspected he had made horcruxes the moment I learned he was still alive, and by lucky chance I stumbled upon a clue. He stole this locket when he was a young man, and he took Hufflepuff's cup at the same time. He murdered the owner of the items, framed a house elf, and was never suspected until I looked over the evidence." Dumbledore explained.

"Merlin's beard... I suppose the third one is the lost diadem of Ravenclaw or something."

"It could be. Voldemort wasn't in Slytherin for nothing. You remember the grey lady of Ravenclaw tower?"

"Yes..." Sirius replied

"Her name is Helena Ravenclaw, and I suspect she had a hand in the diadem's disappearance. Voldemort, when he was in school, showed an unusual amount of interest in her. He could be charming when he wanted to. If anyone could get the truth from her, it would be him."

"It's extremely difficult to imagine him as charming, but I supposed he looked like a human back then. What was his name, anyway? I think you're one of the only people only enough to remember."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. He hates that name with a passion. I always made sure he knew I didn't forget it. It makes him very angry that I look down at him the same as when he was eleven." Dumbledore said, laughing a little to himself.

Sirius checked his watch. "It's quite late now. I need to get some sleep. I have a feeling things will be quite hectic tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Wow, look at me being productive and uploading twice in a week. Don't get used to it.**

 **I'm thinking of starting another story soon. If you like my stories, check out the poll on my profile and vote on a story idea! Having different things to work on really helps me with writer's block. Also, of you think my writing could be better, leave a review! I am open to constructive criticism of my writing skills. Thank you and enjoy.**

* * *

The next day, Sirius' prediction turned out to be not only correct, but a bit of an understatement. It wasn't just hectic; it was chaotic. Sirius was attempting to arrange more permanent living arrangements for Petunia, but she was very particular about details that seemed insignificant to Sirius. Finally, after nearly an hour of arguing, he stopped and threw his hands in the air.

"Alright, alright. Enough of this." He said, a bit louder than was really necessary. "Let's try a different approach. Just tell me exactly what you want to change, and I'll do it."

IPetunia put her hands on her hips. "And why, exactly, do _you_ have to do it?"

"Because," Sirius replied, taking his wand from his pocket, "I can do it faster." He twirled his wand dramatically.

"Oh, fine. Just be sure to do _exactly_ what I tell you." She warned.

* * *

Another hour later, Petunia was satisfied both with her room and the nursery. After taking one last look around the latter, she turned to Sirius.

"The boys are with Remus, right?" She asked.

"Yes, they should be fine with him, Why do you ask?" He replied.

"Where is he and what is he doing other than watching Harry and Dudley?" Petunia inquired.

Sirius paused for a moment. "He's working on his own... project." He answered.

"What kind of project?" Petunia pressed.

Sirius sighed and grimaced. "Well, I suppose if you're going to live in the same house as him, you ought to know. Remus is a werewolf, and he-"

"He's a _what_? Petunia cut in.

Sirius could easily see this conversation going downhill very fast. "He's a werewolf. He was bitten as a child. There's a long story there about his father getting on the wrong side the cult that follows Voldemort- the man who killed Lily and James. You don't need to worry about him, he's only dangerous on the full moon. Right now he's working on a room that he can safely transform in. He's very serious about managing his condition. You aren't in any danger from him."

Petunia breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay then. Is there anything magical to help with his... condition?"

"Unfortunately, there is not," he replied, "but I have heard of a very skilled potion brewer who is determined to invent a potion that would prevent the transformation. That would be incredibly wonderful. I've seen Remus transform many times, and it appears to be extremely painful."

Petunia looked slightly horrified. "You can't even stop the pain?"

"Not even the strongest potions make a dent in it." Sirius replied. "He even dabbled in muggle painkillers for a time, but those didn't help either."

"So there's no help for him?" Petunia asked.

"There is." Sirius said indignantly. "At the very least I can be there with him when it happens."

Petunia opened her mouth as if to contradict him, but paused for a moment. "But isn't he dangerous when he transforms?" She asked.

"Werewolves are only aggressive towards humans." Sirius explained. "I can turn into a dog. It helps him to have company."

Petunia appeared to be both confused and amazed. "Is that a common ability?"

"No, it's difficult to transform into an animal. You also have to register with the ministry if you try to do it." Sirius answered. Then he smiled wistfully. "I originally learned how to do it to help Remus when we were at school, but the ministry found out during my trial and I had to pay a fine."

At that moment, Petunia recalled her earlier meeting with Dumbledore. "Weren't you on trial for murder? How did that happen?"

Sirius sighed again. It was becoming a common occurrence. "I tracked down my former friend who betrayed Lily and James. He publicly accused _me_ of betraying them, made a huge explosion that killed twelve muggles, cut off his finger and turned into a rat, and made it look like _I_ had caused the explosion and kill him as well. He disappeared into the chaos as a rat, and I was arrested. Questioning me under a potion that forced me to tell the truth revealed the truth, and also that I am an unregistered animagus. Problem is, they can't find him because he's a rat."

Petunia closed her eyes for a moment, trying to process what she'd just been told. "So, one of the people responsible for Lily's death framed you for it, committed mass murder in the process, and now he can't be found because he can turn into a rat. How does your government get anything done?"

"They don't." Sirius replied. "You realize that half of us have government jobs, and most of what the government does is make sure the non-magical world doesn't notice us? Really hard when there's a war going on." He paused, and smiled. "We don't have time for things like tax laws, social reform, and preventing people from faking their deaths and escaping in rat form."

Petunia rolled her eyes. "Very funny. Perhaps we should relieve Remus of the children."

"Yes, that might be a good idea." Sirius agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to ChaoticSisters for writing most of this chapter. She's so full of great ideas, she should probably get back to her own story.**

 **Ahh! Look at me, finally committing to an update schedule. Let's see if I actually stick to it.**

 **If you enjoy reading my stories, my profile has a poll on it! It's still open, and you can cast a vote for my next writing project.**

 **Thank you and enjoy.**

* * *

It had been two weeks since Petunia, Dudley, and Harry had moved in with Sirius and Remus. Things had settled down, and Petunia was glad that she had made the choice to leave Vernon. She had filed for divorce, and was almost certain to have full custody of her son and nephew. Harry and Dudley were playing together on the floor, and Petunia was watching them. Remus was in the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast.

Sirius apperated into the living room, the boys jumped slightly, before bursting into laughter. "Lets go to Diagon Alley!" Sirius said with a grin.

Petunia looked up and smiled. "I haven't been since I was fifteen. The boys would love it!" She lifted Harry up, while Sirius got Dudley.

"Remus! Do you want to come?" Sirius called to his friend.

"No thanks! I'm going to work on my room!" Remus replied, continuing his work.

The four who were going climbed into the fireplace, grabbed flu powder, and with a cry of "Diagon Alley!" vanished in the green flames.

* * *

When they stepped into the light, they found a beautiful scene before them. Magical things were everywhere. They headed straight to a shop that sold things for wizarding children. Dudley and Harry stares wide eyed at the many wonders of the magical world. Harry was transfixed by the glowing image of a stag that ran in circles around a mobile. Sirius laughed, and purchased the mobile, and chose a similar one for Dudley, though instead of a stag, Dudley's had a rabbit.

After the first shop, they went to get ice cream at Florean Fortescue's, to the delight of Harry and Dudley. Since they were so young, they shared a small dish of ice cream.

"I do wish I'd come here with Lily more." Petunia said.

"Well, you can come anytime you want now." Sirius replied.

"No, it's not just that. I wish I'd spent more time with her." Petunia mused. "I wish I hadn't been so mean to her just because I was jealous. I wish I'd been at her wedding. The last thing I did for her was to send her an ugly vase for Christmas. That was the last contact I had with her, and all I said in the note was 'merry Christmas.' If I could do this all over again, I would do it all differently."

Sirius put down his spoon and looked at her. "You can't do any of that, though. We all wish we'd done something differently. But we can't, so we have to accept what happened and move on." He paused, looking down at the charmed pendant Petunia was wearing. "You kept the charm the ministry gave you. No matter what you said, you always wanted to be part of this world. I'm surprised it still works after all this time. And even more surprised that you knew you'd need it to find my house."

Petunia shrugged. "Everything magic is hidden from the non-magical community. Why not the houses too? Your neighbors would be terrified if they could see in through your windows."

Sirius laughed. "Yes, I suppose they would."

* * *

The next day, Petunia and Sirius were sitting in the kitchen, baking cookies for the boys, when Harry came running into the room. "Paffoot! Paffoot! Duddy did a magic!" he shouted in exitment, Dudley came into the room after harry, looking excited and rather pleased with himself. "Duddy thew his toy an it floaded up to da roof!"

Sirius broke into a grin. "Thats Great! Good job Dudley!"

Petunia looked pale.

"Whats wrong?" Sirius asked her, confused.

"It's good that I got out when i did." She whispered. "Vernon would have killed him" Sirius shivered slightly.

Petunia managed a smile. "Thats wonderful sweetie!" She said to her son. Harry was grinning like a child on christmas.

Sirius laughed. "A witch for a sister and a wizard for a son? You must have some magical ancestry you don't know about. Probably a squib married into the family at some point." Sirius became serious. "But really, magic at his age? Almost unheard of. Earlier magic is considered indicative of great magical ability, though there are never guarantees. Magic usually shows first at five to seven years. Three to five is less common, but not unheard of. But at one year? I can count all the cases of that in the last century on one hand."

"So his magic is strong?" Petunia asked.

"It would appear so, but as I said, there are no guarantees. Sirius replied. "Oh, no."

"What? What's wrong."

"Hopefully nothing yet, but Harry and Dudley seem to have wandered off while we discussed magical ability."

"Oh, no."


End file.
